SOFT-SOAPING Synonyms: 82 Similar and Opposite Words

soft-soaping

verb

present participle of soft-soap

as in coaxing

to get (someone) to do something by gentle urging, special attention, or flattery she cunningly soft-soaped her parents into letting her go on the trip

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in massaging

to praise too much shrewd voters who know when a politician is trying to soft-soap them

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for soft-soaping

Verb

The neighborhood/area A mile and a half away lies the pretty village of Lyndhurst, with its tourist-coaxing fudge shops and pubs, and a Ferrari dealer plonked incongruously among the red brick and timber quaintness.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
The curtness in his father’s voice was replaced by a syrupy, coaxing tone.

— Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of coaxing

Verb

That follows two $500,000 ad buys from the business group, which has historically aligned with Republicans, praising incumbent Sens.

— semafor.com, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026
James and Giannis Antetokounmpo were among the superstars praising Brunson when training camps opened.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of praising

Verb

Guests have reported footsteps in the attic, the feeling of someone stroking their face, a shower rode repeatedly flying off the wall and loud noises from outside the front door when no one is there.

— Kaitlyn Keegan, Hartford Courant, 25 Sep. 2026
There was only one other visitor, another mother stroking another small head.

— Fran Moreland Johns, The Atlantic, 11 May 2026

Definition of stroking

Verb

The Textile-to-Textile Ecosystem Award went to the Circulose Recycling Ecosystem, commending the brand commitments and fiber-producer partnerships supporting the Swedish company’s industrial restart.

— Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
When the actual resolution commending Biss came before the council, Ald.

— Shun Graves, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of commending

Verb

Yet, this will take a great deal of finesse, including pushing through a bill in parliament by buttering up Lord Hawthorne (Hugh Bonneville), who is willing to trade his vote for a night out with Susie’s brother, Jack (Harry Goodwins).

— Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026
Ben spends the afternoon buttering up Ellie and praising her cake-icing skills, and even gives her the task of decorating the wedding cake.

— Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2026

Definition of buttering up

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soft-soaped

soft-soaping

soft-soaps

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“Soft-soaping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soft-soaping. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of soft-soaping

verb

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